It's moss time!

I told you, when I see moss I just have to stop and look. If my camera is nearby I need to photograph too.

I looked around the yard for examples, and I found plenty. I'm not sure what it is about moss, but I just love it!

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Maybe it's the fact that it shows up in winter when not much else is green (unless you grow bamboo of course), or that it's associated with shady, cool places. It's just so wonderful and, well, mossy!

These manufactured retaining wall blocks that surround the sunken patio are becoming delightfully green:

Moss is becoming the mortar that holds the bricks together, or so it seems:

The stream has been able to run all winter long, and the moisture is really helping the rocks to get coated:

The stairway landing next to the stream is growing its own type of moss, in the cracks between the flagstones:

The one place where moss is found for several months in my yard is in front under the maple tree:

It's a species that apparently hasn't broken dormancy yet, as it still looks somewhat dry. Soon though I suspect.

The sidewalk out there has a bit of a green tint to it, but I think that's lichen instead of moss -- I can't be sure though:

Maybe that is lichen, but there are other objects in my garden that are starting to grow some moss for sure:

Maybe it's just algae... I'll keep an eye on it.

Moss and lichen together. I love this rock!

How many different species of moss do I have in my garden? I couldn't tell you. There must be at least 4 different species shown in these photos, but is that all of them? I don't know, as I always get too caught up in the artistry of the moss to think about the botany.

So that's a look at the moss in my yard right now, at least from an artistic point of view. I'll probably take another look at it here in a month or two.

I won't be able to resist!

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